This invention relates generally to the cellular telephone industry, and more particularly to a headset which facilitates the use of a cellular telephone.
Conventional cellular telephones, which have become extremely popular, are cumbersome to use, especially by the driver of a vehicle. If the telephone is picked up and held by hand, the driver loses the use of that hand for driving or other purposes. In an effort to free up both hands, drivers often attempt to hold the phone between the shoulder and neck, which is not only uncomfortable but also dangerous because it restricts the full range of head movement and peripheral vision necessary for safe driving.
Some cellular telephones are operable in a "hands-free" mode, where the user of the phone speaks into a microphone (usually mounted on the sun visor on the driver's side) connected to the mechanism inside the transmitter of the telephone. While this arrangement dispenses with the need to hold the telephone, the microphone tends to pick up extraneous sounds, such as wind, engine noise, radio and traffic. This can severely impair the quality and clarity of speech transmitted by the telephone.
There is a need, therefore, for a cellular telephone system which avoids these problems.